Church Abuse
Tremont & Sheldon has represented over 100 victims of childhood abuse against area diocese and religious institutions.
Summary & History of Cases | Priests Involved | Our Experience
The personal injury law firm of Tremont & Sheldon was one of the first law firms in the nation to file lawsuits for sexual abuse against clergy members. We have helped to bring this sensitive topic to the forefront and have argued in the legislature for a longer statute of limitations, now giving victims until the age of 48 to bring claims in court.
Need Help Now?
Our Experience With Sexual
Abuse Victims
To date, Tremont & Sheldon has represented over 100 victims of childhood sexual abuse against area dioceses and religious institutions. In March of 2001, Tremont & Sheldon reached a confidential global settlement with the Diocese of Bridgeport and its predecessor bishop, Cardinal Edward Egan on behalf of 24 individuals, most of whom had lawsuits pending for over eight years. Then in October of 2003, Tremont & Sheldon reached a $21 million global settlement with the Diocese of Bridgeport on behalf of 40 additional victims. In October 2005, Tremont & Sheldon reached a $22 million global settlement with the Archdiocese of Hartford on behalf of 43 individuals, of whom Tremont & Sheldon represented 15 of the victims. Tremont & Sheldon has settled additional childhood clergy abuse claims apart from these mediations. Presently, we are actively representing additional sex abuse victims against area dioceses and other institutions including school systems. Please see the Church Timeline of Cases and Church Priests for more in-depth information regarding these cases.
Presently, we are actively representing additional sex abuse victims against area dioceses and other religious institutions. Refer to the Summary and History of Church Cases and Priest Involved for more in-depth information regarding these cases. Please contact the sexual assault victim attorneys at Tremont & Sheldon to confidentially and sensitively evaluate your case.
Related Results
- Who Attended Monsignor Kevin Wallin's Party?
- Monsignor Kevin Wallin of Diocese of Bridgeport Accused of Dealing Drugs and having Sex in Rectory
- Tremont & Sheldon New Information on Church Abuse Cases -- Continues to Represent Victims
- The Similarities Between the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal and the Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Scandal - Freeh Report on Penn Sate Attached
- Two Roads for Justice for Sexual Abuse Victims
- VIDEO - Watch Attorney Jason Tremont Interviewed Regarding Cardinal Edward Egan's Sex Abuse Comment
- Watch Attorney Tremont Interviewed on ABC New York Regarding Cardinal Egan
- Egan's Remarks on Priest Abuse Scandal Draw Fire
- Response to Cardinal Egan's Recent Interview in Connecticut Magazine
- Tremont & Sheldon Announces New Blog as a Resource for Sexual Abuse Victims
- Father Robert Ladamus of the Archdiocese of Hartford
- Bishop Indicted; Charge Is Failing to Report Abuse
- The Catholic Church's Secret Sex-Crime Files
- Abuse Victims Ask Court to Prosecute the Vatican
Online Resources - Clergy Abuse
- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) – The nation's largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns, and others). SNAP is an independent and confidential organization, with no connections with the church or church officials.
- Bishop Accountability – Documenting the abuse crisis in Roman Catholic Church.
- Case Study – Boston.com – A comprehensive investigative report with abuse allegations and victim testimonials.
- pokrov – A resource for survivors of abuse in orthodox churches.
Online Resources - Victim Support Groups for Child Sexual Abuse
- Adult Survivors of Child Abuse – Individual and group support program for adult survivors of physical, sexual, and/or emotional child abuse or neglect.
- Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc. – CONNSACS is a statewide coalition of individual sexual assault crisis programs, which work to end sexual violence through victim assistance, community education, and public policy advocacy.
- Wounded Healer – TWHJ is the oldest point of presence on the web for psychotherapists and others who have experienced the devastation of trauma including child abuse.
- The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Program – The mission of the SCAN Program is to provide comprehensive medical and psychosocial care in a culturally sensitive manner to children who have experienced acute sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect.
- Yale New Haven Hospital Child Sexual Abuse Program – The Yale Child Abuse Program provides evaluation and treatment of all types of child maltreatment.
Common Questions About Church Abuse
You can ask permission from the Court to file your case under a pseudonym (e.g., Jane Doe or John Doe). It is up to the judge to grant or deny your request.
Yes. The two cases can proceed at the same time, but there may be reasons to wait, if possible, until the criminal case has concluded.
Many people know that the burden of proof (or evidence needed to prove the case) in a criminal case is beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal cases require a very high standard because being found guilty of a crime is at stake as well as the potential to go to jail. In a civil case, no one is accused of a crime and cannot be found guilty. Instead, the question in a civil case is whether a person was negligent and responsible for damages to another. The burden of proof in a civil case, for example a motor vehicle accident, is lower (easier to prove) than in a criminal case. The standard is “more likely than not” the person was at fault or proof of just over 50% to win the case.
Under current Connecticut law, any person who claims damages as a result of being sexually abused, sexually assaulted, or sexually exploited as a child has until 30 years past the age of majority (typically until age 48) in which to file a claim in court. However, if you claim damages as a result of being sexually assaulted as an adult, then you have a much shorter time period in which to file a lawsuit. Typically you have three years from the date of the assault to file against the perpetrator for his or her intentional acts and two years from the date of the assault to file against any other person or entity (e.g., perpetrator's employer) who may have been negligent in allowing the perpetrator to have contact with you.
Under Connecticut law, the following people are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse: doctors, nurses, medical examiners, dentists, dental hygienists, psychologists, coaches, school teachers, school principals, school guidance counselors, school paraprofessionals, social workers, police officers, juvenile or adult probation and /or parole officers, members of the clergy, pharmacists, physical therapists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, mental health professionals, physician’s assistants, certified EMT providers, certified drug and alcohol counselors, licensed marital and family therapists, sexual assault and/or battered women’s counselors, paid child care providers in public or private facilities, child day care centers, licensed group and /or family day care centers, employees of the Department of Children and Families or the Department of Public Health if responsible for licensing day care centers homes or youth camps or the Office of Child Advocate and the Child Advocate.
Any person so identified who in the course of his or her employment or profession has reasonable cause to believe or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected or has been inflicted with nonaccidental injuries or is at imminent risk of serious harm must report or cause a report to be made in accordance with state law. Violation of the law will result in a monetary fine and required participation in an educational and training program. See Connecticut General Statutes Sections 17-101(b); 17a-101a.
